


Canis Major

by SleepGlue



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Magical Tattoos, Remus Lupin is Tragic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 09:38:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9999338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepGlue/pseuds/SleepGlue
Summary: Remus agrees to get a tattoo on one condition: Only he and Sirius can see it.---Nothing appeared to happen, but Remus felt the distinct shock of magic on his skin. Sirius was grinning as he replaced the bandage, smoothing down the tape with care. “Did it-”“It worked,” Sirius assured him and pecked Remus on the cheek.





	

One week had passed since Sirius had sat still for two hours and let a witch with two rings in her nose tattoo a set of runes across his shoulder. The skin around the new ink was still red compared to the usual dark olive color, but it appeared to be healing well when Sirius sat up in bed to inspect it. 

“You should get a tattoo,” Sirius said to Remus, as he did every time one of his new pieces began to heal. 

Remus made a tired, muffled noise into his pillow before turning over just enough to peer up at Sirius with one eye. Sirius wasn’t looking at him, but had his attention on his own arm when he asked, “What was that, Moony?”

“I said,” Remus croaked, cleared his throat, and continued on in a softly hoarse voice, “that it isn’t for me. I would look comical.”

“Just a small one.”

“No.”

“Moony,” Sirius whined. Remus rolled his eyes and sat up a little more when he allowed Sirius to take hold of one wrist. “Just right here.” Sirius brushed his thumb over the soft, pale underside of Remus’ wrist before drawing it up to his lips. The warm, wet flick of Sirius’ tongue startled a gasp out of Remus. Something sparked in Sirius’ dark eyes and the next moment he was back beneath the covers and in Remus’ lap.

***

Normally, Sirius would let the matter of tattoos rest once Remus insisted it would never happen, but the next evening when he slipped into bed beside Remus he had a very determined look on his face. “I’ve been reading,” Sirius announced. 

Remus looked up from his own reading in genuine surprise, but Sirius didn’t seem bothered.

“I’ve found a charm- a bit like disillusionment- that we can use when you get a tattoo-” Remus opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius calmly pressed a finger to his lips. “It won’t be visible to anyone but you and me. I swear it.”

Remus pushed away Sirius’ finger and asked, “Which charm?”

“It will work,” Sirius insisted. Wrinkles had appeared at the bridge of his nose and between his thick brows, which Remus recognized as stubbornness. However, Remus could be just as stubborn and the two men sat glaring in silence for a long, tense moment before Sirius relented with a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Next time I go in I’ll do the charm on myself,” he bargained, “then you’ll see.”

***

Remus did not go with Sirius to his next tattoo appointment, so he was momentarily speechless when the bandage on Sirius’ wrist came off to reveal the simple outline of a howling wolf. 

“What is it, a great big prick then?” James laughed from over Remus’ shoulder. Blushing, Remus whipped his head around to look at James, then back at Sirius, convinced that this was some sort of joke they were both in on. 

“You’re a great big prick,” Sirius said, grinning. He already looked victorious. “Only Moony knows what’s really there, isn’t that right?”

“You really can’t see it, Prongs?” Remus asked.

“No, mate.”

“Lily?”

“It just looks like Black’s got a bit of a rash.”

***

Remus decided on Canis Major. He was sure that it was horribly mawkish, but the way that Sirius’ eyes lit up at the suggestion let him know that it was the right decision. 

The witch at the tattoo parlour was kind enough not to comment on the role reversal when Remus sat himself up on her table and Sirius sat back to watch. The whole ordeal was over in less than half an hour and Remus thought that maybe he understood the sort of thrill Sirius must get when he looked down at his wrist to observe the neat lines dashed between eight small points and one heart. 

They waited until they were back in the flat before Sirius sat Remus down on their sofa and peeled back the bandage on his wrist. “Are you happy with it?” Sirius asked, running his thumb softly over the skin around the new tattoo.

“I’ll be happier when it’s just for you and me,” Remus admitted. Sirius laughed brightly and pulled Remus in for a kiss that left them both breathless. Before Remus could think of anything to say, Sirius pulled his wand out from inside his jacket and tapped the end directly over inked heart on his wrist. 

“ _Amator Solum._ ”

Nothing appeared to happen, but Remus felt the distinct shock of magic on his skin. Sirius was grinning as he replaced the bandage, smoothing down the tape with care. “Did it-”

“It worked,” Sirius assured him and pecked Remus on the cheek. “Because you love me, it worked.”

Remus discretely bared his wrist to Lily a week later anyway and was relieved when she shook her head. He continued testing the charm, but no one ever pointed out the ink or asked him why. The only person aware of the constellation printed on his wrist was Sirius, who would press their wrists together when they apparated to Order meetings and traced the stars with his tongue when they were alone together. 

***

For twelve years Remus was the only person who knew he hid a tattoo beneath the sleeves of his old jumpers.

Remus still couldn’t believe he wasn’t dreaming when Padfoot showed up at his door, too skinny and tired, with matted fur. He had never seen Sirius cry as hard as he did when he pushed up Remus’ sleeve and pressed his thumb over the cluster of faded stars.

“Of course I still love you,” Remus whispered against Sirius’ lips when they were pressed together in bed that night for the first time in so long.

***

When Sirius fell through the veil Remus knew that he was utterly and finally alone. 

***

The next summer Remus woke to the gentle insistence of kisses along his jaw, the scratch of his stubble against soft skin audible in the stillness of early morning. He hummed and felt a warm tongue glide over his throat. 

“Good morning,” Tonks whispered. Her body was pressed against Remus’ side, their bare legs tangled together beneath the blankets. When he reached around to hold her close the movement stopped and Tonks settled with a content sigh against Remus’ shoulder. 

“Quite a way to wake up,” Remus said, his voice rough from sleep. 

“Did you like it?” Tonks laughed softly. “I put the kettle on in case I needed backup.” At that moment whistle of the kettle carried in through the bedroom door and Tonks placed a kiss to Remus’ forehead before she bounced off the bed. Remus noticed that she wore only one of his baggy jumpers. 

Remus took his time sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and settling back against the cool wall. He rubbed absentmindedly at his wrist and smiled when Tonks came back with two steaming cups of tea. 

“What would I do without you?” Remus gratefully accepted one of the cups and made room next to him beneath the blankets for Tonks again. She shimmied back in and fit herself into the crook of his arm. 

“You’ve been worrying at it again,” Tonks said, sounding sad suddenly.

“What?”

Tonks reached across Remus’ lap and took his free hand in hers. Her small slender fingers went straight to his wrist and Remus thought he must have just rubbed too roughly until Tonks traced along the lines of Canis Major. She sighed miserably, “I miss him, too.”

Remus’ stomach plummeted. Silently he watched as Tonks retraced his tattoo, one finger lingering over the heart before continuing down the line of the dog’s back. Sirius’ words rang in his ears, as though his ghost had whispered, _because you love me, it worked._

Because he loved Tonks, too, it worked.


End file.
